Elaine DefibaughPaint and collage

Artist’s Statement

My work combines elements from a traditional landscape genre with a pattern & decoration composition to formally investigate painting as a site for the juxtaposition of the Urban and the Natural in an abstracted collage of continuity and rhythm. I use fluorescent paint and illuminate the paintings under black light to suggest a contrast of light between both the cityscape and landscape. This inspiration of light is a result of my observations while traveling throughout the National Parks in the US, such as The Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion and Capital Reef. The light seen in cityscape such as Time Square, Los Angeles and the Vegas Strip also inspires me.

When I first began this body of work my ideas were to have two paintings in one. My intentions are to have the paintings hold up under both light sources giving an effect of night and day. The work speaks of duality just like we do as people, (good/bad, etc. The universe also speaks of duality as the moon and sun spiral around the earth creating day & night.